Google Archives - Farhan Fawzer

Farhan Fawzer

May 30, 2024

Google Confirms Leak of Search Ranking Document

Google has confirmed the leakage of a confidential document detailing its search ranking systems, sparking hot discussion topic within the SEO community. The document, reportedly used internally, sheds light on the intricacies of Google’s ranking factors, which are critical for website visibility on the search engine.

The leak has unveiled several key components of Google’s ranking algorithm, including the weight given to various factors such as page speed, mobile-friendliness, and backlink quality. This revelation has prompted SEO professionals to reassess their strategies, ensuring alignment with the uncovered guidelines to maintain or improve their website rankings.

Google’s response to the leak emphasizes their commitment to transparency and user experience. The search giant has reiterated that while the document provides insights, the actual algorithms used in real-time are dynamic and continuously evolving. This complexity ensures that no single factor can guarantee top rankings, as the search engine prioritizes delivering the most relevant and high-quality content to users.

Industry experts suggest that the leak will lead to a more informed and strategic approach among webmasters and SEO practitioners. However, they also caution against over-reliance on the document, advising a balanced focus on content quality, user engagement, and technical SEO.

For more detailed information, you can read the full article on CXOToday.

Farhan Fawzer

January 15, 2020

Google January 2020 Core Update

14th January 2020 was just an ordinary day for most of us as we went about with our regular work, but not so for Google.

On the 13th Google tweeted about releasing a broad core algorithm update called January 2020 Core Update.

Google explained their Algorithm updates in the best possible way as referenced below.

“One way to think of how a core update operates is to imagine you made a list of the top 100 movies in 2015. A few years later in 2019, you refresh the list. It’s going to naturally change. Some new and wonderful movies that never existed before will now be candidates for inclusion. You might also reassess some films and realize they deserved a higher place on the list than they had before.”
Google Webmaster Central Blog

An Algorithm changes tracking tool Cognitive SEO also was able to track the fluctuations on keywords ranking changes.

Our Client’s keywords ranking change after the 2020 core Algorithm update

We were able to notice massive improvements on our clients keyword rankings after the algorithm update. We have always deployed the best practice when it comes to providing SEO services to our valuable clients.

Some chatter about the Algorithm update from the SEO community

Two hours After the update went live, we began dropping for dozens of keywords one after the other. The effects from our end/datacenters were visible quite fast. We are also losing rich snippets stars for every phrase, after years of having them being visible in the SERPs. We are religiously dropping for everything across the board, including for fresh and expert written content. But I guess if a site has issues that would drag it down, it’s a site wide effect during an update. We’re definitely experiencing that right now. I guess we didn’t do enough work to improve our site and user experience. If I’m being honest and objective with respect to our site, in theory, I can see why it’s dropping. Unpleasant but it’s the reality. Need to work harder.

For us, it’s been horrible since the second week of November. I don’t ever recall Google’s traffic being this bad. The quantity is there, but the quality went right down the toilet. Let’s hope what is apparently rolling out now will dramatically improve traffic quality. Here’s what I’m looking at for this month:

Users: +9.8%
Revenue: -40.6%
Conversion Rate: -38.2%

Almost a 10% increase in traffic and conversions fall off the cliff? Really?Keep in mind this is on top of what turned out to be a terrible November and December. Google’s traffic has gotten really, really bad. And just when you think the quality of traffic coming from Google can’t get any worse, it does!

Have you been affected by the recent algorithm update? Has your website seen significant changes in the keywords rankings, drop in organic traffic, not many inquiries etc. Get in touch me and I’m happy to analyse your website along with you in identifying and fixing the issue.

Farhan Fawzer

June 7, 2016

Developing Long Lasting SEO Takes Time

Good things come to those who wait

Patience is a virtue in search engine optimization. Placing paid sponsored ads in the Pay per Click (PPC) area via Google AdWords can achieve almost immediate results but SEO does not produce immediate results. You won’t get your return on investment a week after SEO starts. However the long term benefits of SEO often out weight the almost instantaneous results of PPC. This is one reason that the two often work well together in a campaign.

Optimizing your site for your targeted key phrases won’t get you to Page 1 overnight. You won’t find all your keywords rankings in the top 10 on Google in 19 days (despite some claims you read), nor will you get significant traffic improvement after an hour of SEO consultations. SEO is like boiling water: you don’t get a hard boil the moment you turn on the burner… you have to wait for it.

Boiling water on the burner

The process of optimizing a site can take months or even over a year, depending on how competitive your area of practice and your geographic target. SEO is an ongoing process with growing measures of return. The return in SEO is good, but you’ve got to be willing to invest the time to let it happen.

Developing a Proper Base Takes Time

Hours of research, developing the proper site architecture, and making the site user friendly must all be completed prior to the actual optimization of specific pages. Keyword research, research on your specific product or service and your specific targeted geography, competition research, and more, must be completed before any optimization can begin.

Every website has different construction, design, layout, history, and speaks differently. No two sites are the same; therefore no research is the same. Some elements of the research can be applied, but you can’t just take what works for someone else and apply it to your site. You don’t get ahead by cloning a competitor; you get ahead by outsmarting a competitor.

There Are No Magic Bullets in SEO

Many businesses have quality websites. To get the search engines to rank you higher than other businesses competing in your same product or services, it is important to do all the little things right. There is no one thing you can do that will send you to the top of the rankings. You must do a series of small things right over time. Overall website construction including “Site maps”, help both search engines and visitors quickly and easily get to the information that is important on your site.

Up against a similar site, these things can help you keep visitors engaged with your content and prevent them from jumping off to a competitor. It’s often the small things that can make the biggest difference. Providing unique content offers value to visitors, videos give people an understanding of you, your personality and FAQ that address real issues are some of the examples that separate you from the rest.

Even the design and navigation of the site play a major role. The easier it is for visitors to find their way around your site the easier it is for the search engines to crawl and index all your web pages.

Farhan Fawzer

June 4, 2016

Google Trusted German photographer Felix Steck in Sri Lanka

We are extremely delighted to welcome expert German photographer Felix Steck in Sri Lanka.

Felix Steck is to start covering hotels and resorts with his expertise and experience in photography.

While it is still a new trend with Google street view, the see inside feature of Google is very much likely to catch up soon in Sri Lanka.

There are few novice companies in Sri Lanka, who claim to be authorized partners of Google in Sri Lanka and have gone to the extent of even publishing on digital and print media. For the best of my knowledge, currently only few Google Trusted photographers are from Sri Lanka as per Google’s listing for Trusted Photographers. They are the pioneers in Google Street view and have been involved in Google related businesses such as Google local business since 2012. Many hotels and resorts in Sri Lanka are taking the advantage of Google see inside.

I hope Felix Steck and professionals of Sri Lanka if worked together could be a great strength and add more value to the local businesses in Sri Lanka.